Hardware and Resources FAQs

Why hardware and resources?

Without hardware and resources you can use your Personal Factory to custom make product parts - your designs made from our catalog of materials.

While this works really well for simple and clever products, what about products you make using additional stuff?

With hardware and resources you can use your Personal Factory to store all of the key information required to custom make (and sell) your products.

This includes your designs made from our catalog of materials, plus hardware additions like electronics, plus additional resources like materials not currently available from us, software downloads required, self assembly instructions, etc, etc.

With hardware and resources your Personal Factory is your private space to store all the stuff you need to custom make (and sell) your products.

What is ‘Hardware’?

Hardware items are physical components that you combine with your custom made parts to create your complete product.

How do get hardware delivered with my custom made parts?

Then click the ‘Make it’ button to get an instant online price to make, package and deliver all of your product parts.

Where will my hardware be shipped from?

Your hardware will be shipped direct from the hardware supplier.

This means you will receive two separate packages - custom parts from Ponoko and hardware from the third party supplier (eg, SparkFun.)

The delivery charges you pay include shipping from these two different locations.

Note: If you select the ‘Pick up’ option the hardware will be shipped from the supplier to Ponoko for you to pick up. The delivery charges you pay include shipping from the supplier to Ponoko.

Will my hardware arrive at the same time as custom made parts from Ponoko?

It’s most likely your hardware will arrive first, followed by your custom made parts.

You will receive an email from the hardware supplier telling you when they have shipped your order. Ponoko will continue to send you an email when we have shipped your custom made parts.

Who do I contact about my hardware order?

You contact the hardware supplier direct. You will find their email address on their website.

Does Ponoko charge a mark-up on supplier’s hardware?

No. You’ll pay the same price as if you went direct - with the added convenience of ordering your hardware and custom made parts from one location. This is particularly useful when ordering the same thing multiple times.

How do I include hardware in my factory showroom?

The best thing is to sell your custom made product as a product kit - made up of your design, materials, hardware and resources.

This way when someone purchases your kit, all you have to do is enter your customer’s delivery address when you make an order in your Personal Factory.

In this case, the flat packed custom made parts are delivered direct to you customer from Ponoko and the hardware is delivered direct from the supplier - altogether ready for self assembly.

Be sure to include the cost of the hardware (and resources) in your product price.

It’s also important to be clear with your customer that the different parts of your kit will arrive at different times from different suppliers.

You’ll also want to include a link in your factory showroom for self assembly instructions.